PORTO & DOURO INTERNATIONAL WINE TASTING
SUMMARY: A smaller event from a criminally underrated wine region delivers fantastic wines in an intimate setting buoyed by an enthusiastic mix of both media and consumer crowds.
PROS: Intimate event with plenty of time to talk to all reps and visitors from the wineries. Excellent reds and Ports. Enthusiastic mixed crowd of mixed media and consumers.
CONS: Reps running out of wines due to underestimating crowds. No Madeiras, Moscatels or Vinhos Verdes.
Portuguese wines face an uphill battle which is really odd when you consider it’s the 7th largest wine exporter in the world. Google will tell you Portugal exports far more wine to the world than South Africa, Germany, Chile, New Zealand and all the US wine regions combined. Yet how many of can name a California winery without a second thought and not be able to name a Portugese winery unless Port or Madeira is involved? They’re one of the world’s top ten wine exporters yet have next to no Q rating or place in the hearts and minds of most mainstream wine consumers.
The flip side is that for those of us in the know, Portuguese wine is the biggest bargain in the wine world today. Their quality reds easily IMHO compete with and even best the red blends of the Bordeaux region for a fraction of the price. The prices are low and will likely remain so for a good long while. If you love red wine, you simply have to give Portuguese wine a fair shot to be part of your collection.
Two weeks ago I found myself in a relatively small event room in the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto at the annual Porto & Douro International Wine Tasting. Last year’s event was an extremely low-key affair that, despite a very good free Port seminar and tasting, was decidedly unenthusiastic and lacked excitement. This year’s could not have been more different. Despite being a third of the size of the massive California Wine fair, the enthusiasm and buzz in the room was just as high thanks to the fact that both media and consumers were present at the same time.
This was the first time I’ve ever experienced this at a wine event and frankly I feel strongly that every professional wine fair should have that format after my experience here. Too often I find media portions of wine fairs tempered due to the self-seriousness of the wine media and the pressure wineries feel to make a good impression on restaurant and hotel buyers and especially the LCBO itself.
Not so this time around. It was clear that there was a true love for Portugese wine and the country of Portugal itself, as I ended up in a number of conversations at tables with non-pros who had traveled to Portugal and discovered the wine there for themselves. The energy was sky-high and the room was loud and crowded, yet there was still intimacy with all the winemakers and reps who were in turn buoyed and I would say even shocked at the high enthusiasm and energy level.
The only hiccup was that as a result of the pro and civilian crowds mixing, a few of the wineries present actually ran completely out of wine. A couple of the wineries admitted to me that last year’s low-key affair led to them underestimating this year’s event as they thought, and I quote, “I thought it was going to be a quiet event where I’d pour some wine for a few wine critics.”
Barring that small hiccup, I was really pleased at the turnout and happy for the wineries to be surrounded by the happy and rowdy energy that filled the room, especially after last year’s subdued event. It was a definite shot in the arm and you could see and feel their spirits being lifted as a result. I look forward to the next event in Toronto.
